Improved breech-loading fire-arm



J; P. SCHENKL...

Breech-Loading Fireh-Arm.

Patented June` 23, 1857.'

No. r17.642.

N.PETERS, FHOTO-LITHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTONy D. C4

PATENT OFFICE.

JOI-in r. SOHENKL, or BOSTON7 MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARM.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.'17,612, dated June 23,1857.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. SOHENKL, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms, of which the followingisaffull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in whichFigure l is a view of a breech-loading gun with my improvementsattached. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same, the stock being removed and theparts corresponding in position with the parts in black in Fig. l; Fig.3, a plan corresponding with the parts seen .in red, Fig. I; Figs. 4, 5,and 6, details. v

In the accompanying drawings, A is the barrel, which is pivoted to thestock at a, the screw which secures it passing through a slot, b, in theloop, which projects from the under side of the barrel. This Slot allowsthe barrel a slightlongitudinal movement at the same time thatitoscillates a short distance vertically around the pin a.

B is a breech piece, through a hole in which plays the needle c,- Figs;2 and 4, by which the percussion-pellet in the cartridge is exploded.'Attached to this piece B is a conical hollow thimble, C, which fitsinto a corresponding groove, e, Figs. 3 and 4, inthe lower end of the'barrel. When the barrel is in position for iiring, this thimble C isforced into the groove e, as in Fig. 4. The inner edge of the groove cis turned down, so as to form a thin ring or cylinder, i, that may eX-lpand against the inner surface of the thimble G by the force of theexplosion, thus forming,

a tight joint and preventing the escape of gas. D is the hammer, (a viewof the inner side of which is seen at Fig. 5.)

E is the tumbler, which is secured to the pin (Z, to which fis alsoattached the hammer D.

These parts move together. In the upper part of the tumbler E is formeda notch,r f, which embraces a pin, g, attached to the needleebar m',Fig. 4. The needle and its bar slide in a hollow guide-bar, F, which isattached at one end to the breech-piece B. This bar F is slit lengthwiseto accommodate the end of the tumbler E, which moves in this slit, therear end of the needle-bar m having a slit in itto accommodate the endof the tumbler, and the pin g passing through said bar across the slitand fitting in the notch f in the tumbler. Thus as the tumbler is thrownforward by the mainspring G when the trigger H is pulled, and its upperpart moves in a segment of a circle of which the pin 'Z is the center,it drives the needle-bar m in its guide-bar F in a line eo incident withthe aXis of the barrel, the pin g moving in the slot f.

The arrangement by which the rear end of the barrel is raised for thepurpose of loading, and by which it is returned to its place and theresecured, and by which the gun is cocked, will now be described.

I is a lever, also serving as a trigger-guard, which 'is pivoted to thestock onthe under side at h, and may be swung out laterally into theposition seen in red in Fig. 1. To the end of this lever at h isattached a pin, i, which passes up through the stock beneath the barrel.On the end of this pin is secured the disk or head 7c. On one side ofthe upper surface of this disk,and eccentric to the pin,is a cam, Z, andopposite to it on the same surface ofthe disk is a pin, m, Fig. 2. Thispin rises through a slot, O, in a fiat-bar, K, which slides in asuitable recess in the Stock beneath the barrel. This bar is curved at nto accommodate the cam Z, and is bent down vertically at p to avoid theloop where the barrel is 'pivoted to the stock. The rear end of this barpasses through a suitable opening in the breech-piece B, and is `bent upat right angles at q. Vhen the leverI is swung forward,turning the diskZe, the pin m forces back'the bar K, the bent portion fpushed forward,the weight of the muzzle overbalances that of the breech and throws thebarrel into the position seen in red, Figs. 1 and 3, ready for loading.When the cartridge has been inserted in the rear end of the barrel, andthe lever I is swung back toward the position seen in black, the outerend of the rod K at r strikes against the projection s on the loop, andthrows up the muzzle of the barrel and brings the breech down onto thestock. As the movement of the lever is continued, the cam Z on the disk7i: strikes against the inclined side of the notch t, Fig. 6, in theunder side of the barrel, and forces the barrel back over the thimble Gagainst the breech-piece B, as in Fig. 4. XVhen the lever I is closed upto the stock, it is heldin place by a stop, u, attached to the stock,which iits into a notch, o, Fig. 3, near the end of the lever, the gunbeing ready for tiring.

That the gun may be safely carriedv when loaded, I have adopted thefollowing arrangement of lialf-cockzThe hammer D is formed of two parts,the body w, Fig-5, which is secured to the pin d, Fig. 1, in thecustomary manner, and the lever x, which is pivoted to w at y. Thislever moves in a recess, e, in the body ofthe hammer. (This allows thehammer to be set up close to the lock-plate.) Itis held in place by aspring, a', and has at its lower end a pin, c. As the hammer is raisedand lowered, this pin moves in one or other of two grooves, b e', in theface ofthe lock-plate, the groove b being of such a length as will allowthe hammer to fall as far as is requisite in iring oil the piece, andthe groove e of such a length as will allow it to come down but partWay, or not far enough for the needle to reaehthe fulininate in thefront of the charge. Then the hammer D is thrown down in the act ofiiring, the pin c', being in the position seen in black in Fig. 5,enters the long groove b; but when the hammer is let down slowly, therestraint of the hand on the upper end of the lever x at d presses thelever against the resistance of its spring a into the position seen inred, Fig. 5, and the pin c enters the groove e and rests against thelower end of it, holding the lock securely in a half-cook position, fromwhich it is necessary to again raise it to fullcock before the gun canbe red.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. The method herein described of stopping the hammer at half-cock bythe pressure of the thumb, as set forth.

2. The bar K, constructed as described, and operated by the pin m andlever I, for the purpose of cocking the gun, and of returning the barrelinto line with the thimble C, and locking it therewith, substantially asherein set forth.

JOHN l?. SCHENKL.

VVi tnesses:

SAM. Coornn, Trios. R. Bolton'.

